The Lost City of Z, Paramount’s adaptation of the David Grann non-fiction novel, has hit a major setback; Brad Pitt, who was to star as Col. Percy Fawcett, has left the project. Like the novel, the movie would have followed Pitt’s Fawcett during his 1925 expedition in Brazil to find the legendary city of gold known as El Dorado but instead of returning with riches, he vanished and never returned at all.
What is interesting is that the reason Pitt left had to do with how much director James Gray was being compensated for his directorial work. According to the Cinema Blend article, it had to do with Gray being paid too much, but in the Vulture article, it doesn’t mention anything like that; however, if Pitt was angry Gray was being paid too little, I doubt he would have left the project, essentially killing it.
Part of me still hopes The Lost City of Z will come to fruition; the story itself is Indiana Jones-y, minus the whole “main character disappears” downer ending and that’s the kind of action-adventure we are sorely missing these days (no, the National Treasure movies DO NOT count). With Pitt gone though, it may be awhile before the movie finds its legs again.
Were you looking forward to The Lost City of Z and now that Pitt’s gone, who’d be a good candidate to replace him?